Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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WHILE, n., conj., prep. Also Sc. forms whyl-, whill, ¶whail (Sc. 1711 D. Warrand Culloden Papers (1925) II. 29); arch. quhill, quhile; whul'(Peb. 1832 R. Brown Hist. Dramas v. 26, 33). For n.Sc. forms see File. [ʍəil]

I. n. As in Eng., a certain length of time, and adv. Freq. in Sc. dim. forms whil(l)ie, whyllie, whileie, -y; whil(e)ock, -ok, whyl(e)ock; whileag (Cai. 1905 E.D.D.); whilockie (Per., w.Sc., Dmf. 1825 Jam.). Sometimes also in possess. case while's, obs. in Eng. Cf. (2) below.Sc. 1746 S.C. Misc. (1841) 387:
After a whiles hearing of parties.Kcd. 1819 J. Burness Plays, etc. 29:
Master Clinton is out a whyllie syne.Per. 1831 Per. Advertiser (14 April):
The Papists keep what they ca' Lent for a wee whilok in the spring o' the year.Ork. 1908 Old-Lore Misc. I. iv. 183:
After it was burned a whiley.Dmf. 1920 J. L. Waugh Heroes 18:
When ye've been a whilie here.Crm. 1933 D. A. Mackenzie Stroopie Well 4:
I aye drop in to news a whiley.Ags. 1970 Dundee Courier (10 Dec.):
It spained him frae the coortin' for a whilie.em.Sc. 1988 James Robertson in Joy Hendry Chapman 52 71:
' ... Weill, ilka mornin the factory bummers'd soun aff, aince tae gar the warkers get out o their beds, an aince mair, a wee whilie efter, tae gar them get intil their wark. ... ' em.Sc.(a) 1991 Kate Armstrong in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 110:
Tae whitna maitter scarts atween these banks
on loan a whilie, we sall gie particlar name. But gif
the medium be the message, raither mind hoo thocht
or scoukin haar kenna the immigration laws. Cai. 1992 James Miller A Fine White Stoor 34:
'Och, he can amuse himsel for a whilie, a big loon like him.'

Sc. phrs. and comb.: (1) a while back, some time ago, in the past (Sc. 1905 E.D.D.; Ork., n.Sc. 1974); (2) a while's time, some time, a period of time (Ork., Abd., Per. 1974); (3) by whyl(i)es, temporarily, for the time being, by turns. Obs. in Eng.; (4) this while (back, — o' days), for some time past, for the past days, weeks, months, etc. Gen.Sc. Obs. in Eng. exc. in phr. all this while. Cf. (1) and (5); (5) while sin, -syne (gen. with a or this and sometimes written as one word), a certain time ago, for some time past. Gen.Sc. Also this whilesin' back. Cf. (1) and (4).(1) Abd. 1972:
There wis neen o this nonsense amang the students a while back.(2) Sc. 1819 Scott Bride of Lamm. xxvi.:
There might be wisdom in giving them a whiles breathing time.Abd. 1832 W. Scott Poems 201:
We'll maybe find it out oursel', To tak' a whillie's time wi't.Lnk. 1840 Poets & Poetry Scot. (Wilson 1876) I. 383:
A wee while's time they wasted I' the house that day.Abd., Per. 1972:
I wad need a while's time afore I could tell ye that.(3) Knr. 1891 H. Haliburton Ochil Idylls 60:
Ye that are lords o' fix'd degree, Ye that are lords by whylies.Kcb. 1895 Crockett Moss Hags xxiii.:
Bywhiles, atween the spells o' the questions.(4) Ayr. 1786 Burns Author's Cry xvi.:
This while she's been in crankous mood, Her lost Militia fir'd her bluid.Ayr. 1833 J. Kennedy G. Chalmers xvi.:
Hae ye been doing onything that way this whileock?Ags. 1881 J. S. Neish By-Ways of Life 88:
I hinna heard ye sing this while o' days.Edb. 1886 R. F. Hardy Within a Mile iv.:
It's jist a mercy that she's been awa yont Gilmerton at her grannie's this whiley back.e.Lth. 1903 J. Lumsden Toorle 43:
But an they hae hairsts in Heaven, raley, Effie, they'll hae haen a lang and a fat ane this gey while-ie!Cai. 1920 John o' Groat Jnl. (14 March):
A hevna met ye 'is whiley back.(5) Sc. 1818 Scott H. Midlothian v.:
She was here greeting a wee while syne about her tittie.Gsw. 1877 A. G. Murdoch Laird's Lykewake 80:
This whilesin' back I've studied her.Ayr. 1887 J. Service Dr Duguid 186:
Mr Caption dee'd a whyleock sin' syne, and left a fine feck of gear.Abd. 1900 C. Murray Hamewith 47:
The sky, a whylock syne sae grey, To fleckit red had shifted.Sc. 1925 H. McDiarmid Sangschaw 30:
Only a wee whiley-sin' it was fidgin' fu' fain In its gowd and green.

II. conj. 1. Until, up to the time that (Cai. 1905 E.D.D., Cai. 1930; Uls. 1953 Traynor; Ork., Cai., Mry., Ags., Per. 1974). Also in n.Eng. dial. Now somewhat liter.Dmf. 1731 A. Steel Annan (1933) 72:
The Children and Servants [who] shall be convicted as said, shall be incarcerated and kept, while payment be made of the sums forsd.Cld. 1818 Scots Mag. (Aug.) 155:
My ain bonnie grey stintit nae whill he wan to Nether Auchenleck.Sc. 1829 R. Chambers Sc. Songs II. 526:
Yet I'll take my fiddle in my hand, And screw the pegs up while they stand.Ork. 1884 R. M. Fergusson Rambles 247:
Mansie steud an' hauled whill he filled his sea-cubbie.Abd. 1893 G. MacDonald Songs 49:
Quhill he cam, i' the licht o' the mune, Quhaur michty stanes lay scattert like sheep.Mry.¹ 1928:
Will ye be long while ye come back?Sc. 1947 D. Young Braird o' Thristles 23:
Haud back the Laird frae his intent Whill my guidman wins hame.Rnf. 1986 John Mitchell Class Struggle 3:
... thanks to Judith for general encouragment, being around, and letting me off the dishes while it was finished.

Phrs. (1) ay and while, in legal formulae: until such time as. See also Aye, adv., 4.; (2) quhile or now, before now, of old. Arch.(1) Sc. 1711 Atholl MSS.:
To Continue and endure ay and while compleat payment be made.Sth. 1739 C. D. Bentinck Dornoch (1926) 445:
To stand before the congregation of Dornoch, ay and while they shall see satisfying evidence of his repentance.Peb. 1765 Burgh Rec. Peebles (B.R.S.) 173:
Ay and quhill he find cautione in the same termes.(2) Sc. 1871 P. H. Waddell Psalms cxix. 152:
Quhile or now, o' yer tellins I trew: that ye founded them weel, lang eneugh.

2. In comb. whileas, while, whilst. Obs. in Eng.m.Lth. 1794 G. Robertson Har'st Rig (1801) 29:
Whileas the show',r does last.

†III. prep. Until.Inv. 1702 Inv. Session Rec. (Mitchell 1902) 49:
Do not come whill after the first prayer.